Construction of a major new theater in Walthamstow is expected to be complete by the end of the summer, ahead of a 2025 opening.
Developers now see the end of September as the completion date for the much-anticipated Soho Theater on Hoe Street, which was delayed in November.
The 1,000-seat venue is at the heart of the council’s vision for Walthamstow to become a ‘cultural corner’ and will host a variety of events, from comedy nights to pantomimes.
READ MORE: Moulin Rouge! The Musical is releasing “exclusive” seats at special prices
Much of the work has been completed, according to a council report, with the next few months dedicated to adding the finishing touches.
The report says that by early 2025 there will be a program of ticketed performances available in the main hall, as well as a cafe and bar.
Construction was delayed by a series of “structural challenges” faced by developer Willmott Dixon, the company leading the refurbishment of the former Granada cinema.
The developer has also faced “supply management issues” in the meantime, said acting strategic director of location Joe Garrod.
Waltham Forest Council first set out its business case for the theater in 2017. Since then, both the expected financial benefit and cost of refurbishing the old EMD cinema have increased by millions of pounds.
The venue is now expected to bring £61m to the borough in its first decade of operation, up from initial estimates of £46m. The cost of the project has increased over the same period from £19.95m to £30m.
Ahsan Khan, deputy leader of the council, said in early 2023 that the “increased financial benefit was not proportionate to the increase in project cost”, but insisted it “still represented value for money“.
The council says its officers are also “working closely” with the Soho Theatre, headquartered in Dean Street, to “maximize” job opportunities for the borough.
The Hoe Street building closed its doors for the last time in 2003 and has been the subject of several campaigns. In 2011, residents and film fans set up the Waltham Forest Cinema Trust to see new life breathed into the historic venue, which was once a concert hall that hosted performances by The Beatles and The Who.
Waltham Forest Council bought the venue in 2019 and entered into an agreement with Soho Theater as operators.
It has since credited the investment with attracting the University of Portsmouth to the borough’s first ever campus in Walthamstow, and the receipt of £17m from the Government’s Leveling Up Fund.
